Happy Birthday
by TenshiKachuu
Summary: Someones birthday is usually a happy occasion....but not always. No, not always. **Angst alert. For those of you that claim angst does nothing for you, read this, and we'll see.**


Happy Birthday   
  
Warnings: Angst with a side of...angst, with a spray of...*grins*.. angst for color. Oh, and  
don't forget the lovely side dish of...you guessed it, angst!   
  
This is dedicated to a very good friend of mine...we're twins, we swear! *laughs* Even  
though we don't have the same birthday...This may be sad, but it was inspired by her,  
because I swear if we're not twins, then we must be sisters. *grins*   
  
You know who you are, and I just wanted to say....thank you! Muchas Gracias! Arigato!   
  
* * *   
  
The ocean crashed into the sand, the waters splashing up on the shore.   
  
He could almost see her there, her blond hair shining in the sunlight, her blue green eyes  
sparkling, matching the sea she had loved so.   
  
Quatre ran a hand through his platinum blond locks, his lips tugging up into a forlorn  
smile....   
  
"Come on, it's fun!" She had run into the ocean, barely lifting her skirts above the waters.  
Her laugh tinkled in his ears, and he had blushed.   
  
"No...I...I...can't." Quatre looked down at his feet in shyness, before a tan arm shot out  
and grabbed his wrist.   
  
"Too bad!" She laughed, her sing song voice echoing back from the high cliffs that backed  
the sandy beach. She drug him down to the wet sand and past it into the small swells,  
laughing again as he pulled back from the sudden warmth of the water lapping around his  
ankles.  
  
"You look so horrified, Quatre. Its only seawater. And warm!" She threw her arms out to  
the bright sun, turning in dizzying circles in the shallows. The most beautiful smile shone  
from the resplendent face, and golden strands escaped her loose braid. They formed a  
warm halo around her head and face, lit up by the golden rays of the afternoon sun. Quatre  
had thought of her as angelic, but now she truly appeared so...   
  
"Angel..."Quatre murmured, entranced.   
  
"Angel? Me? Oh, Quatre! Hardly!" She had caught his hands in hers again, and danced  
with him in the warm sea, waltzing to a tune only those two could hear. That then  
degenerated to romping, splashing each other until they were both sopping with the  
saltwater from head to toe.   
  
They finally drug themselves back up onto the dry sands, laughing and smiling the whole  
time.   
  
Quatre smiled up at the young woman. His happiness seemed to multiply so much in her  
presence. "Happy Birthday, Nerina."   
  
* * * *   
  
Quatre's slight smile turned to a deep frown as he rose from the sands he had played on  
not so long ago. It was night now, the sky alight with a full moon, the stars winking from  
their places in the heavens.   
  
"Nerina...." The name fell from the Arabian's lips unbidden, his warm eyes suddenly filled  
with salty tears. A twisted, bitter smile formed on his face. 'Just like the sea....everything  
reminds me of her....'   
  
Sandrock's pilot ran a rough hand across his eyes, willing the tears away. He had found  
that if he simply didn't think of her, just thought of nothing, willed it to go away enough,  
that his memories, along with his tears, would leave....   
  
But there was always one night of the year. One night when the tears came, whether they  
were willed away or not.   
  
'Nerina...' Quatre found his eyes lifting themselves up to the moon, the strange halo  
surrounding Earth's only natural satellite an odd comfort.   
  
"Oh, you cry so. Why?" The familiar voice broke on the edge of his consciousness, and the  
tears that had only threatened to fall now did. Quatre took in a ragged breath, not only out  
of shock, but of despair...  
  
He could see, on the edge of his vision, bright sea colored eyes, ringed by pale gold hair....   
  
"I lost someone...someone very special to me, this night." Quatre's eyes stayed on the  
moon. It was now only a large silver smudge in his vision, but it was so much more better  
than what he knew was right next to him.   
  
"Oh..." The soft female voice sighed. "I'm terribly sorry. Is there any-"   
  
"No, there is nothing you can do." Quatre cut off the melodic voice, hoping that for one  
year, just one, he would be able to shorten the pain. He hoped to keep the suffering from  
rending his heart as it always did.   
  
The Arabian felt the slight frown on the girl's face more than he saw it. He learned long  
ago not to look. It hurt too much. To see the slight furrow between the brows, the  
perplexed, eager look that pulled on her mouth.   
  
"Oh! I know!" The ghost moved forward, into Quatre's vision where she could not be  
ignored. "Dance with me!"   
  
"No, no. I cannot." Quatre bit his lip, trying to hold back further salty torrents. He was not  
successful.   
  
"Yes, yes you can!" The ethereal girl took his hands, and Quatre found himself compelled  
to dance one more time with her....but it hurt so much...   
  
"Please?" The aching and longing in the voice shook Quatre's soul. Eyes the color of the  
ocean begged him, and he found that he was hard put to form the word 'no'.   
  
Reluctantly, Quatre moved his hand towards hers, and he walked towards the ocean.   
  
He looked up at the ghost, drawing in a deep breath. He had not known his memories of  
her were this sharp. Every detail, from the slight mischievous twinkle in her eye, to the  
stray hair escaping from her braid, was preserved.   
  
Quatre tried to speak, but couldn't. His voice was drowned in sudden tears, his heart was  
breaking under the pressure of seeing her again.  
  
'Why? Why do I do this to myself every year? Why must I remember you so well?'  
Quatre's thoughts ran in the same circle over and over. 'Why? Why? Why?'   
  
The ocean water swirled around his ankles, the movement wonderful and painful for him  
at the same time.   
  
"Oh, Quatre....Don't cry. It will be all right. You know me. As long as I'm near the  
ocean..." The ghost of Nerina turned towards the silvery water, a gentle smile on her lips.  
Her translucent hand let go of his, and now she too stared up at the moon.   
  
"Why?" Quatre managed to get the word out past his tears, past the slow aching pain that  
ran rampant through his mind and soul.  
  
Nerina turned from the moon and back to Quatre. "Why? I do not know, otouto.*" Her  
eyes shone in the pale light of the stars. Silver, blue, and green danced in the two orbs, and  
Quatre realized that she was crying, each tear a sparkle in her eyes-but joyless-unlike the  
other, more natural sparkle that lit up her eyes.... "But it is something you must stop. You  
were not able to save me. You have to forget, little one. You must. This....it is not good  
for you, to remember me so well. You must learn to forget." Her eyes were now cast  
down to the shallows, her hands gently folded in front of her.   
  
"But....but.." Quatre didn't understand. 'Forget you? How could I?...'   
  
"You must, otouto. It's the only way..." Her shining eyes rose to meet the ones much like  
hers. "I will see you soon enough. You have a life to live...with someone special. Live it."   
  
Quatre found himself smiling. It was the mention of someone special...a slight blush rose  
to his tear stained cheeks.   
  
"Ah! See, that's the Quatre we all know and love!" Nerina's laugh echoed over the soft  
splash of the water. "I have to go, otouto..."   
  
Quatre sighed as she said the last sentence, and he found a new feeling seeping into his  
veins. It was a cold, dread-filled feeling. It clawed at his heart mercilessly.   
  
Fear.   
  
"I don't want to forget...." The young man murmured.   
  
The ghost of a girl smiled, and it was tinged with bitterness. "You have too. Good-bye,  
otouto...." She began to fade, her outline blending with the gray shadows of the night, her  
eyes fading to the color of the night sea...   
  
"Nerina...ane*....." Quatre whispered the name to the night again. He had not reached for  
her fading form, nor had he felt the need to.   
  
'I have to forget...'   
  
"But I do not want too."  
  
* * * *   
  
The paper hit the sidewalk with a 'phwap'! The black letters stared up in bold type at the  
blue sky, the headline a shock to many......   
  
"WINNER HEIR SUICIDE"   
  
A longer explanation followed...   
  
AP(Associate Press) This morning, the body of Quatre Raberba Winner was found,  
washed ashore on the Lenghy Beach. Sources report that the Winner Heir was staying  
there at an old family beach house, taking a break from the busy needs of the Winner  
corporations and all their subsidiaries. Early this morning, a friend of the deceased, Trowa  
Barton, found Mr. Winner's body. He had died of apparent self-inflicted drowning.  
Authorities are, at this time investigating the case, but it is being deemed a suicide.   
  
Sadly enough, this isn't the first time tragedy has struck the Winner's. Only three years  
ago, in a swimming accident, Nerina Winner died on that same beach. She was Quatre's  
older sister, and her birthday, and day of passing, was last night as well.   
  
* * *   
  
A/N's..   
  
Ane is older sister.   
  
Otouto is younger brother.  
  
Well, was that angsty enough for ya? Hmm? *chuckles* Yah, for those of you who  
cried(if any of you did...I know of some that did...*winks at a certain authoress*) I didn't  
mean to make you cry so much as move your heart.   
  
All and any reviews are appreciated! Re-heally! *grins*  
  
~TK  



End file.
